


Scared, Malfoy?

by somewhat_angel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Lucius Malfoy, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Bullying, Confused Harry, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Homophobia, Idiots in Love, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mentions of Dark Arts, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:21:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21828901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somewhat_angel/pseuds/somewhat_angel
Summary: Harry might have to teach Draco how to be brave.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 44
Kudos: 145





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm so excited for you to read this... because I love it and I really enjoyed writing this first chapter!
> 
> Leave kudos and comments if you like it, please!
> 
> Thanks, Jackie, you're a great beta :)

_"You have... really nice eyes, Potter."_

Harry smiled into his pillow, still asleep. He had been having the same dream all summer, and he couldn't help but smile every time, even if he felt a lot more confused when he woke.

He heard heavy steps down the stairs just outside his bedroom and Elle's voice screaming in joy on the first floor. Harry rolled in his bed, not wanting to wake up just yet. 

He wasn't that lucky, though, as his little sister came running, calling his name, her voice considerably more squeaky than ever. 

"Harry! Harry! Wake up, we're going to be late!"

Harry rolled once again and blinked his eyes open. He glanced at the muggle clock his mother had given him years ago. He could barely see the numbers, as he wasn't wearing his glasses, but he guessed it was only 7 a.m. He grunted and hid his face in his soft, soft pillow. It was so soft. 

"Harry, come on! We're going to be late!"

Harry grunted once more and sat up. The floor was cooler than he'd expected. He opened his bedroom door, still half asleep. Elle entered in a rush and started jumping around, too excited to stop. 

"Are you wearing your uniform already?” Harry asked, amused and annoyed at the same time. 

"Uh-huh, I love it!" said Elle, who couldn't stop moving. Harry rolled his eyes. He took his wand from his bedside table and dragged his feet to the bathroom he shared with his little sister, who followed him until he closed the bathroom door in her face. She wasn't at all discouraged by this, as she kept talking through the door. 

"I can't believe I'm going to Hogwarts! Do you think I'm going to be a Gryffindor? Or I could be a Hufflepuff, I've heard they are nice. I can't wait to learn all those spells, and potions-"

But Harry wasn't listening. He could still hear those words, the words he dreamed about almost every night. _"You have... really nice eyes, Potter."_ He was going crazy. Draco Malfoy would never say those words, not to Harry, at least. They were enemies, for Merlin's sake. They hated each other. Harry hated Malfoy. He hated the boy's arrogance, his drawl, his platinum hair slicked back, and his eyes that looked like a stormy sky.

Merlin, he hated those eyes. Did he? Yes, he did! 

He washed his face and let out a long sigh. His eyes were okay, he thought. Bright green, just like his mum’s. Cho had commented on them in fourth year. Harry chuckled at the memory of her. He had liked her, but she had a crush on an older bloke and Harry couldn't compete against that. It hadn't been as traumatic as he'd expected, though. He'd had forgotten her, and now...

Now, he kept replaying Draco Malfoy's voice in his mind over and over. _"You have... really nice eyes, Potter."_

Thirty minutes later and a dozen failed attempts to tame his messy hair, Harry was ready to face the real world. He found his family eating breakfast at the dining table. Elle talked between mouthfuls of food, while both Lily and James hummed and smiled from time to time. 

"Are you sure I can't tell Mandy? She's my best friend!" Elle complained, pouting. 

"Not yet, sweetheart," her mum said patiently, patting her little hand. Elle pouted more, but then she kept talking about how excited she was.

"Oh, good morning, Harry!" James said, pushing his glasses up. His grin was radiant, and Harry found himself smiling in return. 

"Hullo, dad." He sat at the empty chair. Breakfast was toast and bacon, which Harry devoured in seconds, to Elle's annoyance and his dad's amusement. 

"Slept well, Harry?" his mum asked. Truth was, he wasn't so sure. Admittedly, he liked hearing Malfoy's voice in his dreams, but that didn't mean the dreams were all good. Most of the time, it was just the voice, but he couldn't see Malfoy; only a dark tunnel he didn't cross for some reason. 

"Yeah, sure," said Harry after a while. His mum looked at him with confusion but said nothing about it. "More toast?" she asked. Harry ate more toast. 

"You should put your uniform on, Harry," his dad joked. He knew that Harry liked his muggle clothes better, and that he always changed on the train. "Your sister would like that."

"She's too busy trying not to get to King's Cross by herself," replied Harry. Elle was sitting while their mum tried and failed to braid her dark hair because the little girl just couldn't sit still. 

"She's worse than I was at her age," Harry thought, chuckling to himself. 

"Knock, knock," said a cheery voice. 

Harry turned, grinning wide as he saw Sirius' face on his chimney. "Sirius!" he said. Elle was screaming in the background. 

His dishevelled godfather seemed to want to come out of the chimney and hug him, but he obviously couldn't, so he had to calm himself down a bit.

"Harry, my boy," Sirius said with affection. Harry beamed. He loved his godfather, and he missed him a lot. But he and Remus were currently on a trip to Wales because Remus had discovered something with runes. "Are you ready for a new year at Hogwarts?"

"Well..." Harry trailed off. He wanted to see his friends, but he was also more nervous about this year than he wanted to admit. Sirius laughed.

"I know, I know. Nobody wants summer to end, right?" he laughed again, and for the first time, Harry noticed that his eyes were grey. Like Malfoy's. Well, of course, his godfather and his enemy were related, after all. Sirius was cousins with Narcissa, Draco Malfoy's mother. So he was like an uncle or cousin or something like that. Pureblood families were odd. 

"Are you alright, Harry?" Sirius asked, tilting his head a bit. Harry realized he had been staring. This was embarrassing. 

"Sorry, I spaced out a bit. I guess."

"Are you sleeping well?" asked Sirius. Him, too? 

"I am," Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm just a bit anxious, you know. Sixth year and all."

"Hmm, well, if you need anything, you know you can write to me. And Moony." 

Harry grinned. He would write to him. Remus, too. He missed them both and he actually wanted to... ask some things. They would understand. 

"Harry, I want to talk with Sirius!" 

"Okay, I have to go, Elle wants to talk with you," said Harry to Sirius, who smiled softly.

"Promise you'll get in trouble." 

Harry laughed. He always did get into trouble, though. It was in his nature. Same as his dad and godfather when they were younger. 

"I promise."

They said goodbye to each other and Elle came running to the chimney, her braids finally done. 

"What did Sirius say?" asked dad. Sirius was his best friend, after all. They had met in their first year, exactly twenty-five years ago. 

"He's fine. Says the landscape is wonderful. Uncle Moony's still working on those runes. I can't wait to tell Hermione all about that, she would explode. 

His parents laughed. Elle was telling Sirius all about her new wand and books, and how much she would miss her muggle friends. Sirius promised her she would make new friends at school, and she would be a great witch, and Elle laughed, delighted. 

Soon enough was time to go. Harry took his trunk along with Hedwig, hooting softly in her cage. Elle didn't have an owl; she wanted something different so she got a frog. There weren't many options for pets at Hogwarts. At least Neville would find Elle's pet charming.

The whole family disapparated just outside the house. His father was very good at disapparating without anyone noticing it. Harry wasn't fond of the sensation, but he was excited to learn to do it himself this year. It would be another form to show he was almost an adult. Also, his mum would be thrilled. 

King's Cross was as crowded as every year on September 1st. Harry was the first to reach the Platform 9 3/4. Elle had experience walking through the barrier so she crossed it as smoothly as every older witch or wizard would. 

As always, the impressive Hogwarts Express awaited. Harry sighed in contentment. He loved summer, but Hogwarts would always be his second home, and he was glad to come back. 

"Harry!" Hermione's voice reached him before he could see his friend. And then his face was stuffed with frizzy hair. He laughed.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Hermione," he said when she stepped back after the bear hug. She grinned. She was wearing her muggle clothes, but Harry knew she would change as soon as they were on the train. "Where's Ron?" asked Harry. 

"Still with his family. His mother's giving him a lecture because apparently he didn't de-gnome the garden in the summer as he said he would," replied Hermione, rolling her eyes fondly.

Harry winced in sympathy for his best friend. He had stayed a few summers at The Burrow, the Weasley home, and he knew how hard it was to de-gnome the garden. Nobody in that house liked that chore, but it was usually Ron who had to do it. 

Harry turned his head as his parents and Elle were walking towards him and Hermione. Once they were all together, Lily gave Hermione a big hug, and James asked about her parents.

"Oh, they're great, Mr. Potter," said Hermione. "Mum can't stop talking about that dinner party you had last month. She loved the food and dad wants to know what was in the drinks that you served."

Hermione was great at talking, and Harry remained silent, barely hearing her voice while his eyes scanned the crowd. He could see Ron and the rest of his family. They weren’t hard to miss, because all of them had bright red hair. The twins and Percy weren’t there though. It was only Ron, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Harry noticed Ginny staring at him. He smiled and waved, and she returned the smile, but only for a couple of seconds because she turned her head quickly, letting her straight red hair cover her face. 

Harry frowned. She was usually more polite than this. Perhaps she wasn't as fond of going back to study as Hermione, who still had a huge grin on her face, explaining to a beaming Elle everything about the sorting ceremony. 

"I'll be back in a minute," said Harry absently. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew what he was looking for. Or _who_.

The Malfoy family wasn't too far away. Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, stood tall and elegant, all dressed in black. He was frowning while he seemed to be lecturing his son about something Harry couldn't quite catch. Draco's head was bowed, his eyes intently on his shoes. Harry had never seen him like that. He was usually so proud and arrogant and looked down on everyone. He now looked like a little child, too scared to look up at his father. Harry couldn't stop staring. 

Narcissa was also there, but was standing a few feet away, with her back turned to Harry. She looked uncomfortable, as if she didn't want to intrude but also wanted the odd scene to be over. 

Harry wasn't sure why he kept staring, and then Draco Malfoy lifted his head and caught his eye. 

There was a moment where everything else stopped and they were alone, staring at each other. There was shock in Malfoy's eyes, but then he seemed to shake himself and sent Harry a death glare. He then turned to look at his father and muttered a few words, nodding his head. Lucius seemed to be satisfied with whatever his son had said because he smiled just slightly and put a hand on his son's shoulder. 

Harry didn't feel well of all a sudden. Something was weird. This wasn't the usual Malfoy. The usual Malfoy was annoying and nasty but this one was... dark. Something had happened, something bad, and Harry could feel it, even though he couldn't explain it. 

The second he turned around, Hermione's face was there, staring at him in confusion.

"Merlin, Hermione, you scared me!" 

"You disappeared, we didn't know where you were," she said, smiling apologetically. He sighed.

"I was just- forget it. It's almost time."

They reunited with their families again. With the exception of the Grangers, who had decided to never come back to King's Cross on September 1st after first year. They claimed it was too "crazy", which meant weird and scary.

Molly Weasley hugged Harry the same way his own mother did, and Arthur Weasley shook his hand enthusiastically. Ron was happy to see Harry, and Ginny, well, she was behaving a bit strange but she smiled at him.

Soon enough, it was time to go. Elle got a bit nostalgic, but Lily and James promised to write to her everyday and paint her bedroom neon pink before Christmas. Harry remembered when he was a first-year. His parents had given Hedwig to him and Sirius and Remus had given him the Marauder's Map. James and Lily weren't supposed to find out, but James saw it once on Harry's bed when he was twelve, and promised not to tell his mum if he promised not to give Professor McGonagall a heart attack because of it. 

Harry smiled at the memories. He hugged his parents and his best friends’ parents. Everyone hugged each other, and Elle sobbed a few times, but she was still excited to go. They said goodbye one last time and walked towards the Hogwarts Express.

Harry carried both his and Elle's trunks, with Hedwig on top of them. Ron was complaining about the scolding from his mother and Harry laughed. Molly Weasley could be a bit strict, but she was kind and sweet. Hermione and Ginny were just behind them, chatting amicably.

Elle was clutching at Harry's sleeve when they got into the train, and he felt a rush of affection towards his little sister. She could be a bit intense, but he would die for her. She needed her big brother now and he liked to be there for her. 

"Don't worry, Elle. You'll stay with us now, but soon enough you won't even remember me as you'll have lots of friends."

She gave him a sheepish smile and he grinned down at her. This year would be great. At least for Elle. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Second chapter, hope you guys like it! :)
> 
> I won't update more until next month so Happy New Year!!
> 
> Thanks to 7HedwigtheBoo7 for being my beta.

They found their usual compartment toward the end of the train. Students tended to choose the same spots over the years, and Harry and his friends did the same, which was nice because they felt protected from outside noise. 

Harry allowed Elle to sit by the window while he put their luggage away. 

"Can I stay here with you, Harry?" asked Ginny from the compartment door. Harry blinked. "I mean, in this compartment," she added with a shy smile. 

Ginny usually ran to meet her friends when they entered the train, so Harry found it odd that she wanted to stay. And why would she ask him specifically?

Harry looked at the others. Ron seemed to be just as confused as he was and Hermione was staring at him expectantly. 

"Uh, sure? It's not _my_ compartment, you know." he joked. Ginny giggled. Hermione moved away a bit so Ginny could sit next to her, facing Harry. 

There was a silence that Harry could only describe as awkward. Ron, who was sitting at Harry's right side, cleared his throat rather loudly. Ginny blushed, to Harry's surprise, but managed to send a glare at her brother's direction.

"What? I can sit here if I want," she said, avoiding everyone's eyes. She focused on Elle instead. "How are you feeling, Elle?"

Harry shrugged as Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione looked like she wanted to punch someone. Perhaps the two boys she had in front of her. 

"So... We're N.E.W.T. students now," said Ron after a few seconds. Harry relaxed a bit, though he didn't know why he'd been tense before. It had to be Ginny, but he didn't understand exactly was going on. Ron's words were the cue for Hermione to tell them everything she had read about the new classes they were going to be in. Harry didn't want to hear all of that, but Elle was ecstatic and listened raptly.

It wasn't until the trolley lady stopped by their compartment that Ron casually mentioned Malfoy.

"Y'know, I think I saw Malfoy earlier. Guess he was in a bad mood or something. Glaring at everything."

Harry's stomach churned and suddenly he wasn't that hungry anymore. He didn't know what had happened earlier with Malfoy, but something was telling him that he should find out. The sooner the better.

"Well, at least he hasn't come to bother us yet," said Hermione with a scowl. Draco Malfoy was one of the very few topics of conversation Hermione really hated. It was understandable, as Malfoy had been particularly nasty with her for being a muggle-born. He had called her a mudblood in second year. In third year, Hermione punched him in the face and Harry would lie if he said he hadn't enjoyed it. 

"Yeah, right," Harry sighed, munching on his pastry. 

How could someone say something so nice, _“You have… really nice eyes, Potter.”_ , and then look at him like he wanted to murder him only two months later was beyond him. But this was Malfoy, saying what he said... about Harry's eyes was so uncharacteristic of him that it was ridiculous just try to remember it. It would be hilarious except that Harry had actually believed it, at least he had for a while.

"Are you okay, Harry?" 

It was Ginny, watching him closely. Harry blinked. Ginny was pretty, though she reminded him of his mum and that was a bit unsettling. He felt a headache just starting. 

"Yeah, I'm just not that hungry," answered Harry, smiling faintly. Ron snatched the pastry out of Harry's hand with a grin.

"Good, 'cause I am!"

"Ron!" Hermione and Ginny shouted, and Elle giggled, her hands covering her smile. 

"It's fine, really," he assured the girls. "I'll eat in the castle."

The sky was dark around half an hour before arriving at Hogsmeade. Ron and Harry went out to the bathroom to change while Hermione and Ginny stayed to do the same inside the compartment. Elle stayed with the girls and read one of her books.

Harry took his invisibility cloak with him. Just in case. _In case of what, though?_ He had no idea.

The two boys bumped into several students also moving along the corridor. Some of them greeted them and others sent them annoyed looks. 

"Hi, Ron!" 

Harry turned and saw Lavender Brown walking by with her friends, giggling like crazy. Ron’s jaw dropped, looking after her. Harry just rolled his eyes. It was true that Lavender had never spoken to any of them, though, so it made sense that Ron was shocked. He wondered for a second if he should feel jelous because she hadn't looked at him, but he found that he wasn't. 

"Did she just-?" babbled Ron. Harry snorted.

"Yes, I think she did, Ron. Come on, we don't have much time to change."

Harry entered the bathroom first. He took his glasses off and put them on the sink while he fumbled with his uniform robes. He put his muggle clothes on the little bag he carried. He sighed. The invisibility cloak was lying at his feet on the bathroom floor. He picked it up, knowing what he was going to do now.

"You okay there, mate?" Ron called and Harry opened the door.

"Yeah, all yours now," he said, leaving Ron in the bathroom. He threw the cloak over himself before he could stop to think about it and went to look for Malfoy.

The corridor was crowded but he found the 'Malfoy compartment' easily. Harry stood just outside, considering if the Slytherins would notice if the door suddenly slipped open without no one being there. 

But just before he extended his hand, the door slid open from the inside and Malfoy's confused face appeared just in front of Harry, making him freeze instantly. 

Malfoy turned his head to the right, and then to his left, where Harry was. He tilted his head slightly, a curious glint in his eyes. His face remained impassive, though. For a second, Harry thought Draco could see him. 

"Is anything the matter, Draco?" Pansy Parkinson's irritating voice came through the door, and Harry wanted to throw something at her. She was just so annoying, with his black hair and high cheekbones and her perpetual smirk. 

"No," Malfoy said in a soft voice, he stared out at the corridor for a couple of seconds and then began to close the door. 

Harry slid inside their compartment just in time, trying to ignore how close they were in those few seconds before Malfoy went back to his usual spot beside Parkinson. Crabbe and Goyle were on the opposite side, next to Blaise Zabini, who looked like he was already done with the world. 

Parkinson's hand found its way to Malfoy's hair and she started to brush it softly. Harry watched the movement from where he was standing next to the door. He didn't understand why it was so irritating, but it just was. She was irritating. Could she just stop doing that?

"So? What happened? Were there any mudbloods snooping around?" Zabini asked without bothering to look at Malfoy.

That arsehole. Harry wanted to hex him right on the spot. But he knew better than to expose himself in this enclosed space. Parkinson snorted but Malfoy didn't react.

"No. I think I smelled something, that's all." 

"Must be that Granger. I'm sure she smells bad. Like all mudbloods," Parkinson commented with her usual smirk. She was still stroking Malfoy's hair but he sat straighter and her hand fell.

"I said it was nothing," he spat, glaring at her. "Stop talking about mudbloods, no one cares about that."

Parkinson made an offended noise and crossed her arms over her chest. Zabini snorted. Harry tried not to make a sound, but he was getting tired of being in the same still position. It was too late to try and leave, though. Draco started talking to Crabbe and Goyle, or more likely, ordering them around. Harry suppressed a snort. Crabbe and Goyle were more like bodyguards than friends to Draco Malfoy, and that would never change. 

To Harry's utter relief, the train began to slow down, and he’d forgotten why he decided to enter Malfoy's compartment in the first place. It'd been a stupid idea, he should stay away from Malfoy. And he could imagine Ron and Hermione's expressions if they knew. And just like that, he decided that he wouldn't tell them. 

When the train finally stopped, Malfoy didn't bother standing up and picking up his things to leave. Parkinson and the others watched him, but Malfoy only waved them off.

"I have to do something, you lot go ahead," he said, sounding as bored as ever. 

Harry held his breath as each Slytherin walked out the door, fortunately without noticing his presence. 

"What the fuck do you want, Potter?" Malfoy said from his seat when the rest had left. Harry wasn't even shocked he'd been discovered. He just wanted to take his cloak off and move his limbs.

"What are you doing, Malfoy? What's going on?" 

Malfoy snapped his head up to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean-" What did he mean? "I mean- you're acting strange. Like you're hiding something. Are you hiding something, Malfoy?"

"Don't be ridiculous," the boy snorted, but his face contorted in a way that indicated he wasn't telling the truth. 

Harry wasn't getting any of it, though. "Then, what was your father telling you? Was he asking you to do something dangerous?"

"What do you care about what my father tells me, Potter?" Malfoy was on him in a second, his grey eyes boring into his, but Harry didn't back off. He wasn't scared of Malfoy. 

"He's done that before. He's put you in danger before," Harry replied. 

Harry recalled the time just before second year when he followed the Malfoys to Knockturn Alley, where Lucius Malfoy took Draco to buy dark objects for reasons Harry didn’t understand. Or in fourth year when the man specifically requested that Draco learn to cast the three Unforgivable Curses, which was roundly denied by Dumbledore. 

"It's nothing like that," Malfoy muttered, avoiding Harry's gaze. A faint blush appeared on his pale cheeks and Harry felt the urge to touch his face. Wait, what?

"Then what is going on? What-" 

"That's none of your business, Potter. Leave me alone." Malfoy went for the door, but Harry caught his sleeve. They stared at each other for several seconds.

"What you- what you said to me, last summer-" Harry ventured, but then he felt a hard object digging on his chest. It was Malfoy's wand. 

"Shut up. That never happened, Potter," Malfoy spat, with rage showing in his eyes. " _Never_."

And then he walked out, leaving Harry alone. 

He had to sit, as he wasn't feeling well, and his chest hurt, for two different reasons. Suddenly he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't move. He thought that Malfoy had indeed hexed him. Those last words kept replaying in his head. _"That never happened, Potter."_

As he tried to regain his composure, he came to the conclusion that it had happened. Malfoy had said those words to him and he hadn't realized how much Malfoy's dismissive treatment had hurt.

He’d thought that perhaps they both could… What? Start over? Become friends? Okay, that had been idiotic, Harry saw that now. He wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who was only playing with him. This could be his best year, if he just forgot about Malfoy and his bullshit. 

He picked up his cloak and without bothering to cover himself with it, he ran out of the train and went to find the carriages who took them to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade. 

The air was colder than he expected, or maybe it was just his foul mood. He could see the carriages, which as always, were pulled by some weird creatures called _thestrals._ Only wizards who had seen death could see these creatures, but Harry didn't want to see them, and he didn't want to think about death right now. 

"Harry! Where have you been?" a furious Hermione yelled at him. Her black cloak was waving behind her when she ran toward him, and her face changed when she took a closer look at him. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he grumbled. He didn't want to talk about it. 

"But Harry-" 

"I'm fine, Hermione," Harry nearly shouted, walking past her. 

He got into the carriage, where Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville stopped what they were doing to stare at him. Only then he noticed something. 

"Where's Elle?" 

Ron opened his mouth to answer, but Hermione, who was right behind Harry, spoke first.

"She's with Hagrid, she said in an annoyed voice "You left her and she didn't know where you were. She was worried about you."

Harry sat at the corner next to Luna, who smiled kindly at him while reading _The Quibbler_ backwards. Harry felt like an idiot. He had forgotten about his little sister after he had promised to be with her. All because of a stupid git who had just played with him. What was he thinking?

"Why do you have your invisibility cloak with you, anyway?" Ron asked, a little offended. "Did you go to find trouble without me? _Ow_. Merlin, Hermione, it was just a joke!"

Harry had to laugh at that. "No, it wasn't like that. It was nothing, really. I just wanted to... stretch my muscles a bit. I'm getting old."

Ron looked at him with suspicion but didn’t say anything else. The carriage began moving and Harry let out a sigh. He was suddenly tired and didn't want to chat. He closed his eyes but he could still feel Hermione's and Ginny's eyes on him, while Luna chatted away about nargles and other creatures whose existence was yet to be confirmed. 

They went straight to the Great Hall and to the Gryffindor table once they got to the castle. They were greeted by some of their professors, and McGonagall even showed them a smile. 

Watching the castle decorations and lights improved Harry's mood a little, as Hogwarts always felt like home to him. Dumbledore greeted the old students and gave the order to let the first years to enter the Great Hall.

Harry saw a bunch of nervous kids, staring open mouthed and chatting with each other. He still couldn't see Elle, but figured she must be already bonding with at least half a dozen kids over dogs and sweets and muggle music. 

When they were all reunited, McGonagall started to call their names. As the kids moved to their respective new tables, Harry caught a glimpse of Elle, who was bouncing with excitement and anxiety. Harry laughed for the first time in what felt like a long time. 

When it was her turn, she looked like she might faint, but she still sat on the stool in front of everyone. The sorting hat covered half her face and it was only two seconds until it shouted " _Gryffindor!_ ”

Harry clapped and howled with the entire Gryffindor table while Elle ran happily towards him. When she was within reach, he lifted her off the ground and they both spun around. Elle giggled, delighted.

"Hey, sorry I left earlier," Harry said when he put her back on the ground. She bit her lip. 

"I thought something bad had happened."

"I know, but everything's okay. Promise."

Elle grinned and went to sit with her new classmates at the end of the table, after receiving congratulatory words by Harry's friends. Harry was happy to have his sister in the same house. It felt like it was the house of family. 

Soon, their meals appeared in front of him and Harry dug in, momentarily forgetting all about a certain blond Slytherin who kept glancing at him with a slight frown from the other side of the Hall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's no Voldy in this fic but Lucius is still kinda obsessed with the dark arts *shrugs*  
> Next chapter will be from Draco's pov!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This chapter is from Draco's POV and I hope it gives a little more context to the story. 
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a comment or kudos :)
> 
> P.S. I don't have a schedule for this, I just hope it gets updated regularly lol
> 
> (Thanks to 7HedwigtheBoo7 for being a great beta.)

His father had found out about the clipped photograph. It had been an innocent mistake. It had fallen to the floor from his bed when he got dressed to go down for breakfast that summer morning. Half an hour later, Dobby, their house-elf, had appeared by Draco's chair at the dining table and asked in a rather loud and chirpy voice what he should do with the photograph of Harry Potter that he had found on Draco's bedroom floor. 

Draco paled, and before he could say a word, Lucius Malfoy stood from his chair at the other side of the table and snatched the photo from Dobby's little, shaking hand.

"What is the meaning of this, Draco?" the man asked furiously. Draco stayed silent, staring at his shoes because he didn't want to encounter those cold grey eyes glaring at him.

"Lucius-" Narcissa intervened, but Lucius held up a hand and she didn't say anything else and remained still.

"Have you not understood, Draco, that this is wrong? That this is against everything we have taught you? We are a pureblood family, for Merlin's sake, you will have offspring with a pureblood woman. So stop with this nonsense once and for all!"

Lucius used his wand to cut the photo in half and set it on fire. Draco let out a gasp when he saw how Harry Potter's laughter was destroyed by the flames until it was just a pile of ashes on the floor at his feet. 

Lucius left the room, his long platinum hair waved with each step. Draco stood there, frozen, while Dobby made the ashes vanish with a click of his fingers at the same time he apologized profusely for being a bad elf. Narcissa was looking intently at her son but he couldn't even glance at her. He was too embarrassed to give any kind of explanation.

After the incident, Draco hid his other photographs inside his trunk and put a spell on it so they remained invisible for anyone that wasn't him.

That had been weeks ago, and Draco hadn't stop thinking about it. 

It was stupid, to have clipped photos of Harry Potter from the _Daily Prophet._ And do _what he did_ while he looked at those photos _..._ He blushed furiously every time his mind decided to show him an image of himself, all sweaty and flushed in his bed at night while Harry Potter's smiling face and twinkling eyes floated before him. And... no he wasn't going there now. Not after hearing his father’s hateful words about one simple photograph.

It was just... Harry Potter was famous. Maybe not him so much, but his parents, who were both respected Aurors. They usually appeared in all the wizarding newspapers, especially the _Daily Prophet._ The whole Potter family posed for the cover from time to time, looking like the perfect family. 

Draco hated it. He hated Potter and his perfect family, his righteousness and his carefree spirit. And he hated those fucking green eyes. Draco also hated that he was in love with him. 

And perhaps it was because of that fact that he'd said, " _You have nice eyes, Potter,"_ just before the summer holidays.

He remembered the shocked expression on Potter's face. The boy's cheeks had turned pink, his lips parted and his eyes... His eyes were something else, even behind those incredibly ugly glasses, Potter's eyes shone like they were a universe on their own. 

It had happened on a windy night in May. For some reason, Potter had challenged him to play Quidditch that night, just the two of them. And Draco had accepted, the idiot. For a second there he felt like Potter was interested in him, too. But it was just his mind playing games on him. Potter was just too competitive and Draco was just there for it. 

Draco won the game, catching the snitch two out of three times; although, he suspected Potter had let him win the last one. 

Potter looked particularly happy despite having lost. He was grinning like an idiot, and Draco noticed how bright his eyes were. They were still floating on their brooms, closer than Draco had anticipated when he spoke the words.

"You have... really nice eyes, Potter."

When he realized what he'd said, he flew away, leaving Potter there, suspended in the air. 

  
  


The night before the new school year, Narcissa Malfoy entered Draco's room unannounced while he was choosing some of his best robes and levitated them to his Hogwarts trunk. He turned his head a bit, acknowledging her presence.

She was wearing a long, light green dress. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant bun. Always so graceful. She always looked so beautiful. 

"Draco," she started, but he shook his head.

"Yes, I know, Mother," he said. He knew what was she going to say, and he didn't want to hear it again. She'd always been gentler than his father, but she was also cold and distant and that didn't make it better. 

“It won't hurt to remind you."

Draco turned his back to her and sighed, hoping it was enough indication that he didn't want to listen to her, but she wasn't having any of it. She came closer and sat on a corner of the bed. Draco has no other choice but to sit next to her, as she wouldn’t leave until he did what she expected. He kept his distance and didn’t sit too close; neither of them being particularly affectionate in general. 

"Your father is right," she said, looking at him in the eye. 

" _I_ _know_ ," Draco replied, rolling his eyes. But it wouldn't prevent him from having to hear another speech about pureblood and homosexual relationships that contradicted the concept of family. 

"Draco," she said, sounding tired, and Draco frowned. "This... infatuation you have, is just that. An infatuation. It won't last. I'm telling you that if you don't end this now, our family will fall from grace."

"Mother, please," Draco snorted. What did his mother know about all of this, anyway? It wasn't like he would marry Harry fucking Potter. That would never happen and thinking about it was just ridiculous. And painful. Ridiculously painful.

"Look what happened with my cousin, Sirius," she pressed. "I can't even imagine the shame Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga went through. You were too young to remember, but the whole Black family was outcasted. None of the other pureblood families wanted any kind of relationship with us. And this could happen again if you don't stop this. Can't you see it, Draco?" Her usual cold voice turned urgent, desperate. 

His stomach churned as if he was going to vomit. Narcissa Malfoy never talked about her cousin, so Draco knew that this was serious. She would be devastated if Draco did something like… like what Sirius did. And his father... 

Draco never had any kind of contact with Sirius Black, but Harry Potter did. The man was his fucking godfather and apparently, he was an amazing one, according to Potter himself. He talked about Sirius and his longtime boyfriend, Remus Lupin, all the time. Sirius had given the Firebolt to Harry in their third year. Draco had been so jealous. He was always jealous of Potter. 

They both stared at the floor for several long seconds in an uncomfortable silence. 

"I'm sorry, Mother," he said, finally. He wasn't sure why was he apologizing, but he didn't want to be the cause of his mother's distress. He couldn't do that to her, even though their relationship wasn't exactly the warmest.

She turned to look at him, and Draco noticed that her clear light eyes were watery. He felt very awkward; his mother never showed so much emotion and he didn't know how to deal with it.

"I know you are, Draco," she whispered and rose from the bed with elegance as if she wasn't about to cry. "By next year, you will forget all about that boy. As I told you, it's just a silly infatuation."

Draco felt a surge of anger. There she was, deciding what kind of feelings he should have and for how long he should have them. She left the room, leaving an invisible trace of expensive perfume that made Draco want to scream. 

He took out his clipped photos and looked at them for a long time. He wasn't in the mood to start touching himself this time though. He felt too empty to do anything, and Harry Potter's carefree smile seemed so unattainable - more than ever before.

  
  


On September 1st, he saw Harry Potter at the train station watching him while Draco's father was lecturing once again about pureblood this and pureblood that. Draco had already decided to ignore everything about the Gryffindor boy. He felt the stupid need to smile at him, but instead glared and sneaked into the train as soon as he said goodbye to his parents. 

"You haven't mentioned Potter in hours," Pansy commented offhandedly after a strained silence, which earned her a glare. 

Draco wasn't in the mood to speak, especially about that idiot. He grunted and grabbed his Advanced Charms book, pretending to read. 

It wasn't until they were almost in Hogsmeade that he sensed something (or someone) just outside their compartment. When he went to inspect this, he was surprised to have smelled Potter's usual scent. It was hard to explain, even to himself, and he was glad he didn't need to. It was divine, a bit addictive, and made Draco hate himself for enjoying it.

Damn Potter and his invisibility cloak. He thought he could just do anything he wanted just because nobody could see him. He slipped open the compartment door just enough for Potter to get in. It was stupid, and he didn't understand what was going on, but he'd done it and he could only wait to see what would happened next.

Potter probably was there to eavesdrop Draco’s conversation and know what was going on. The nosy Harry Potter. Always too 'preoccupied' for other people. Draco could put up with Potter's accusations about Lucius Malfoy's obsession with the dark arts, as it wasn't exactly a secret, even though he hadn't done anything strictly illegal. Yet. But when the Gryffindor poster boy mentioned what had happened, what Draco had said...

"Shut up. That never happened, Potter," Draco spat, rage showing in his eyes. " _Never_."

Unbelievable. All Draco had wanted was to let himself forget about it. He'd hoped Potter had too. But apparently, he hadn't. Draco had acted out of impulse, he hadn't been thinking before opening his mouth. And now Potter was there to never let him live it down. 

Draco was now in a darker mood when he got to the carriages that took them to Hogwarts. Pansy insisted on wanting to know what was going on with him but he just stayed silent. Crabbe and Goyle were too busy exchanging Chocolate Frog Cards to notice anything. 

Inside the castle, it felt like everyone was avoiding him. It was different from the previous years, as Draco'd always been surrounded by both boys and girls who wanted to be as popular as him. Pansy was now sending him poisonous glares but he wasn't worried. She always forgave him, no matter what he did. Draco susp3cted she had a crush on him but he wasn't interested. not when Harry Potter existed. 

He didn't want to look, but he found himself glancing at the Gryffindor table. Potter was craning his neck, looking for someone among the first-year students waiting to be sorted, and Draco remembered the little girl that also appeared in the _Daily Prophet_.

"Potter, Elle!" called Professor McGonagall, and a girl with braids walked fast toward the stool with the sorting hat. 

" _Gryffindor_!" the hat shouted and the little girl went running towards her older brother, who had a massive grin as he hugged his little sister. Merlin, he was beautiful when he was happy. 

Draco shook his head, putting his head into his hands. This had to end. He couldn't just pine after stupid Harry Potter. His parents were right, it was wrong. Even though it felt so right.

That night, Draco couldn't sleep, but he didn't dare to take out the clipped photos. He wouldn't fall into temptation again. Not tonight, at least.

He wished he could just obliviate himself, or something equally effective. Perhaps that was the only possible way to forget about Potter. With a yawn, Draco contemplated some reading on how to forget about a particular person, but in dreams, he knew he wouldn't be doing anything to forget. 

  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Once dinner was over, Prefects took the first-year students to their respective common rooms. Ron and Hermione were both Prefects so they had to be there. Elle was relieved that she already knew them and Harry saw that she felt a bit more secure.

Harry kissed his little sister's head and assured her that he would be in the Gryffindor common room in an hour. She smiled and went willingly with Hermione, who talked to her excitedly about Hogwarts, making Harry snort in laughter. Some things, or rather, persons, never changed.

"See you in an hour, mate," Ron said. Harry nodded and watched them go.

He turned his head just in time to see Draco Malfoy reluctantly lead first-year Slytherins. Harry didn't mean to stare, but that's what he did. But then Ginny sat directly in front of him, her long red hair blocking Malfoy's frame from Harry's view. 

"Hi, Harry," she said. She was wearing a hesitant smile, something Harry hadn't seen on her in years, she was always so confident and bright, but now it seemed to be common on her, at least when it came to Harry.

"Hey, Ginny," he forced himself to remove his eyes from the general place Malfoy was standing, making _shoo_ motions with his hands. 

The blond boy moved toward the stairs, a dozen little boys following him. Harry realized he was staring again. He sighed. He was being stupid. 

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked with a frown. "You seem a bit distracted."

Yes, he was. Distracted by Draco Malfoy. How ridiculous was that?

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, smiling weakly, directing his eyes on her once again. 

"Good," Ginny's smile grew a bit more confident. "Do you want to go to the gardens, maybe?"

He didn't, as a matter of fact, but he wasn't going to the common room yet where there were lots of first years making noise and running around. Neville was with Dean and Seamus playing some sort of muggle game with cards, and Luna was at the Ravenclaw table; lecturing an unimpressed second-year girl about something Harry couldn't possibly imagine. So he ended up going to the gardens with Ginny. 

The air outside was cold and fresh. Harry sighed and thought of how much he wanted to play quidditch with Malf- he shook his head. This was getting ridiculous. He turned to look at Ginny, who looked away and blushed.

She smelled nice, but her perfume was similar to the one his mother used and that was one of the similarities between Ginny and Lily Potter that prevented him from finding her particularly attractive. Not that she was ugly, not at all. But gingers were just not Harry's type. 

Did he have a type, though? And why was he thinking about that now? 

The gardens were well illuminated, but he cast a _lumos_ to distract himself from his current train of thought. 

Harry noticed that Ginny stepped closer to him as they walked through the hawthorns. _Malfoy's wand is made from hawthorn_ , Harry thought. And how did he know that, anyway? He couldn't remember the moment he'd learned that fact. And here was, thinking about Malfoy again! He wished his brain could just shut down about the Malfoy problem for once. 

"It's a nice night," Harry said, not knowing what else to say. He didn't understand the point of this walk, but he didn't want to make it weird. Ginny was his friend, after all. They could talk about anything, couldn't they? but the truth was that they had never had a full conversation. He was always with Ron and Hertmione, and when he was staying at the Burrow, Ginny was around, but mostly she just... watched him, and offered things to eat, with a big grin on her face. Huh.

She hummed in agreement. She looked more relaxed and content, and Harry thought he might be doing something good. "So," Harry started again because it seemed that she wasn't going to talk anytime soon. "Are you excited about this year?" 

She made a face and Harry remembered that she was actually in fifth year and so she would be taking her O.W.L.S. He couldn't help his chuckle. 

"Sorry, I forgot," he apologized quickly. "But it's not that bad. Promise."

"If you say so," Ginny said, and she laughed, looking at him with playful eyes.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, and then Harry decided that he just wanted to go to the Gryffindor common room to be with Ron and Hermione. 

"Want to go inside?" he offered. Ginny's face fell a little but she nodded. 

"Yeah, okay." Her voice sounded strange but Harry ignored that.

The Great Hall was almost empty, except for the Professors, who were chatting happilhy among them (Professor Snape, who was scowling at the remaining students from his spot). Nearly Headless Nick was chatting animatedly with the Fat Friar in a corner. Harry smiled. It was nice to come back to Hogwarts. 

When he remembered he wasn't alone, Harry turned to Ginny, who was looking at him with a curious expression.

"I just like being back at the castle," he said sheepishly. She laughed. 

"I know. The Burrow was always chaotic. without Fred and George being there, things have cooled down a bit, though."

Harry chuckled. And this was the Ginny he wanted to see, the happy, carefree Ginny. Not the awkward, shy, staring Ginny he saw moments earlier. They waved at Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore on their way to the moving stairs.

"Well, Elle is like having a pair of Weasley twins, I swear she never stops moving."

They both laughed while they walked and when they got to the Fat Lady, they were lucky enough to have a third-year Gryffindor nearby who already knew the password. Harry had totally forgot about that little detail. He never learned. 

"Thank you," Harry said to the boy, who nodded eagerly before running into the common room without looking back.

Harry was used to this kind of behavior from other students, especially the younger ones. He was some kind of celebrity, to his great discomfort, but he couldn't help having famous Aurors as parents. Why were his parents 'famous' in the first place? They caught bad wizards and witches, a normal job. Maybe it was that they were extremely likable. They were always helping others, even when they were off duty. Harry wasn't sure he would be an Auror after he left Hogwarts, but he definitely wanted to be more like his parents. He looked up to them, and his godfather Sirius, and Moony. He loved his family so much. 

"Hi, Harry, Ginny," Hermione greeted them from the red sofa, with a book in her lap. She seemed relieved to see them for some reason. Ron wasn't sitting there with her. 

"Hi," Ginny said, grinning. Hermione smiled softly, but she didn't seem particularly happy. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Harry asked, sitting next to his friend. She huffed. 

"Nothing," she answered dryly. Harry frowned. 

"Where's Ron?" 

Hermione huffed again, something she did when she was extremely annoyed about something. She directed her gaze toward a warm corner where two students were kissing passionately. 

It was Ron and Lavender Brown. 

Harry was shocked. That wasn't an image he'd want to see anytime soon. He'd seen how Lavender had flirted with Ron in the train hours ago, but he hadn't expected things to move so... fast. Harry turned to look at Hermione again and found Ginny giving her a comforting pat on the forearm from her side of the sofa. Harry thought he was missing something here, but he didn't push it and changed the subject.

"How was Elle? Did she give you any trouble?"

Hermione's face transformed immediately. She smiled brightly at the mention of Harry's sister. "Oh, no, not at all. She was marvelous. She asked a lot of questions and the other girls wanted to be around her. She'll be very popular. I had to remind them that their bedtime had already started. Those kids."

A satisfied grin appeared on Harry's lips. That is all he wanted to hear in regards to his little sister. He wanted her to enjoy Hogwarts as much as he did. Even more. 

He stayed a bit longer with his friends, ignoring Ron and his new love. After a while, he started to yawn. 

"Time to go to bed," Hermione announced. She closed her book and the three of them walked toward the bedrooms. 

The two girls went right to the girls' side of the dorms, ignoring Ron pointedly. He didn’t seem to notice though. Harry cast a last glance at his friend and for a second there he imagined himself in his place. It didn’t even surprise him that instead of Lavender, he saw Draco Malfoy. 

This was going to be a long night. 

Neville was already fast asleep when Harry got into the boys' room, Trevor resting on the boy's feet. Harry went to his own bed by the window and started to undress. When he was under the duvet, he let his mind go back to Malfoy. 

He wanted to know what was going on. He wished Malfoy just let him- let him what? Harry didn't even know. He knew they weren't friends. They were more like “archenemies” - if that was even a real thing. Harry had rejected his friendship in their first year because Malfoy had been a giant arsehole at the time. Well, he still was, but Harry's feelings toward him were not as strong as before. Or maybe they were even stronger but in a very different way. 

He rolled over to his right side with a grunt. He wished he could just forget about stupid Malfoy and his problems. But the more he tried, the more he saw the other boy when he closed his eyes. He finally fell asleep, but Draco's words from the last summer replayed in his head.

_"You have... really nice eyes, Potter."_

Harry was up way before the rest. He hadn't noticed Ron walking into their room last night, but now he was snoring very loudly in the bed next to his. Harry took a quick shower and dressed in his uniform robes. It was too early for breakfast and it would be weird to walk alone in the gardens, so he went to the owlery. He suddenly felt the need to communicate with Padfoot and Moony. 

Hedwig was sleeping but she woke up when she sensed him coming. She was one of the most beautiful owls Harry'd ever seen and he was so proud of her. 

"Hey sweet girl," he said affectionately, and Hedwig nudged his hand with her little head as he petted her. "Sorry to wake you up but I need to send something to Sirius and Remus."

The truth was that he didn't know what to say in the letter he wanted to send. How do you tell your godfather and his love that you might be like them? 

It wasn't easy. Not that he was scared about feeling rejected by his own family (that would be absurd, considering his godfather was gay and all that), but it was some kind of a taboo in the magical world, with some wizards and witches obsessed with pureblooded-ness and maintaining family names. It would be a huge scandal, and Harry didn't want that for himself. He just wanted to be happy.

He sighed, and Hedwig pecked softly at one of his fingers. 

"Life's a little hard for humans, you know?" Harry said. "You're lucky you're only an owl. Don't have to think about school or stupid crushes or... a sexuality crisis." He gave a sad laugh because that was just what was happening to him. He was ready to start writing that letter. 

He'd brought his quill and ink, and he sat at a lonely wooden table in a corner of the owlery. Hedwig waited patiently, struggling not to fall back asleep.

_Dear Padfoot and Moony._

_I hope you're having a great time in Wales. How is everything there? It seems like a fantastic place to be since you haven't come back yet. Just joking. But siriusly (see what I did there??), I miss you. You two are going to be back by Christmas and that's an order. No work on Christmas. I'm talking to you, Moony._

_Anyway. I'm not writing to you just to say hello. I know, it's a bit selfish, but I need to talk to someone._

_I think- no, I know that I like boys. I mean, I am gay. Did you know that? About me being gay? Because I didn't know. I discovered it just recently. It feels weird, but it's a bit liberating to be able to tell someone who understands._

_The thing is, I don't just like boys. I like_ one _boy. But he's- he doesn't want me anywhere near him. And that hurts more than I expected. He's nothing especial, to be honest, but I like him all the same. I know it sounds ridiculous. I shouldn't be thinking about all that. I should be focusing on my studies, right? I mean, it's not like I'll find someone who likes me the way you... like each other._

_Anyway, it's not that important. It will pass. Right? It will. I'm just glad to have you both in my life. I know I could talk to my parents about it and all that. But they wouldn't understand the way that you would. I miss you both._

_Love,_

_H_.

_P.S. Elle is doing great! She already has tons of friends. I'm sure she will be one of the best in her class!_

Harry saw Hedwig fly away with his letter until she disappeared in the horizon. Now it was time for real life. First day of school and all. 

The Great Hall was crowded. He spotted his friends and Elle almost immediately. Elle was wearing her red and gold scarf even though it wasn't that cold inside the castle. Harry had to laugh at that. That was some house pride! 

"Where were you?" Ron asked, his mouth full of sausage and pumpkin pasties. Harry sat beside him and stabbed a sausage with his fork. 

"Owlery," he answered. 

"Oh, I'd love to write letters to send to my friends!" Elle complained with a dramatic sigh. She was sitting nearby and her new friends seemed intrigued by everything she did, by the look on their faces. 

"Your friends?" another girl asked, confused. 

"Yes, my muggle friends! I have a lot of muggle friends where I live. I can't talk about Hogwarts with them obviously, but-"

Harry's eyes wandered through the house tables, knowing exactly what, or _who_ he was looking for. There was a brief moment when he thought Malfoy was also looking for him, but the other boy was engaged in a conversation with Theo Nott and Pansy Parkinson. 

_Stop imagining things, Harry_ , his brain supplied helpfully. 

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, and he turned to her, startled. 

"Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?" Had he been that obvious about Malfoy? 

"Well, you seem to be a little... lighter? If that makes sense? Refreshed?" she looked as confused as Harry felt, but then he remembered the letter to Sirius and Remus, and she was right. He felt better, despite everything. 

"Yeah, I guess I feel a bit lighter, now that you ask," he said, smiling. 

"I saw you and Ginny last night, together-"

"Wait, _what_?"

Harry was glad Ginny was sitting with some of her fifth-year friends. She seemed to be examining her schedule or something and didn't look up towards them. 

"Well, you were together in the gardens. Weren't you?" Hermione said, but something in her voice made Harry think that maybe it wasn't an innocent question.

"Yes, because neither you nor Ron were around, and you know Luna- anyway. Whatever you're thinking, it's not what's happening."

"Oh?"

"Please, I don't want Ginny to think I fancy her or anything." 

"You _don't_?" Hermione looked scandalized. 

"What the hell, Hermione?" he hissed, getting pissed off. Why were they talking about this, and why was he so surprised to hear it? 

"Well, I just thought-" 

"No, stop that!" Ron turned his head to them but kept eating, thank Merlin. At least Lavender wasn't there either. "Listen, Ginny's my friend, why would I - I can't even say it. Don't make me say it again."

"Alright, alright," Hermione whispered, raising her hands to defend herself. "I just _thought-_ you know,you looked a little, dopey? Like, if you were- you know."

Harry's face burned. Oh no. No, no, no. He wasn't being that obvious. Was he? WAS HE? 

"Hermione, I think you should stop drinking my dad's drinks. They're making you see things." It was a poor defense, but it was better than nothing. 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't blame the drinks. I'm serious, you-"

As if on cue, Elle appeared right beside Harry. 

"Could you please fix my braids, Harry?" she asked. 

"Sure," Harry said too quickly. Most of the times it was mum or dad who did this, but Harry also knew how to braid his sister's hair, and he actually enjoyed doing it. "But you have to be still. _Please_."

"I promise."

Harry made room for Elle to sit right next to him and got to work. Hermione saw this as a clear indication that their conversation was over and she focused on her book. 

Elle's braids took five minutes, which was a record. She thanked him and went running again with her friends. It gave Harry a bit of time to check his schedule for the day. Transfigurations would be his first class. Ron and Hermione would be there, too, since all three of them thought that Transfigurations was a very important subject for almost any career. Even though Harry was not very good at it and would have to study even more this year. 

Harry said goodbye to Elle and went to face his first class of sixth year. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was chapter 4.  
> I've been really busy these days because I'm studying again and I also have to work so yeah... life sucks. So next chapter could take a while, sorry about that (:
> 
> Thanks to 7HedwigtheBoo7 for beta reading this!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I really can't promise to update more often but at least I'm still writing lol
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have made a few changes to fit it to the story I have in my head, but it's nothing too relevant. 
> 
> Thank you 7HedwigtheBoo7!!

The Transfiguration classroom had students of all the houses and yet it was only half full. Not many could take this class after the OWLS. 

Last year had been very intense with all the studying for the OWLS, as those results often determined what classes you would take afterward. What subjects you were best at and what your abilities were. 

Though Harry wasn't a bad student, he still didn't know what he was supposed to do when he left Hogwarts. What he was supposed to choose. Did he want to be an Auror, like his parents? Three years ago he would've said yes, but now he wasn't so sure. It wasn't that he had limited options (he wasn't Hermione, who had an excellent record at everything she did, but he managed to pass his classes), but it was perhaps because of that that he still was confused about all of this. He was just 16, why did he have to make a decision right now?

Ron seemed to be sure of what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to be an Auror. Harry thought that was great, but he also thought that he wanted it mostly for finantial reasons. It was totally understandable since his father's job at the Ministry didn't pay as much as it should. Apparently, working in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office wasn't that important or well seen in the wizarding community. Harry thought that was a mistake. 

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the classroom, Professor McGonagall was already there, looking very serious and strict. They waited a couple of minutes until the classroom was full. Harry and his friends occupied the seats in the last row on the right side of the classroom, as always. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Malfoy sitting at the other side of the classroom, with Parkinson and Nott at either side of him. Malfoy didn't turn, but Harry felt like he was being watched anyway. It was always like this with Malfoy.

"Good morning, everyone," said Professor McGonagall, looking at the class above her spectacles. She was standing next to her desk, looking pleased. "I have to say that I'm very glad to have students from all four houses. You are here not only because you got high marks on your OWLS in Transfiguration, but because you have a special interest in this branch of magic. I am very proud.” 

Some of the students, including Hermione, looked particularly excited. Ron was trying not to fall asleep and Harry couldn't help stare at Malfoy's blond head. The Slytherin looked focused on what McGonagall had to say. Harry was not surprised; Malfoy was the second best student of their year, only surpassed by Hermione (something that annoyed him to no end). 

The second half of the class was practical, and it was incredibly tense because Lavender wanted to practice their new exercise with Ron and Hermione took Harry to the other side of the room to practice. 

"What the hell, Hermione? Why couldn't we stay there with them?" Harry hissed, his wrist a little sore from her tight hold. 

Hermione was frowning so hard that she might have a stroke, nothing too surpprising, if Harry was being honest. "They're extremely annoying, and we need to concentrate if we want to pass this class."

"But it's our first day-"

"Okay, you go with them, if that's what you want," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Harry thought about doing just that. A moody Hermione was not something he looked forward to, but Lavender looking at Ron, batting her eyelashes, and smiling way too much was even worse.

"You know what, I'm good here."

"I just don't get it," Hermione said when they were fifteen minutes into their spells. She hadn't made great progress, and Harry was even worse at it. "One day she ignores him, and the next day, she can't leave him alone." She slammed her _A Guide to Advances Transfiguration_ book and let out an exhausted sigh. 

"Yeah..." Harry muttered, but he wasn't thinking about Ron and Lavender. Malfoy was watching as Parkinson failed to transform her quill. 

It was the same for them, Harry and Malfoy. One day Malfoy said something nice to him and the other he hated him again. 

Their first class had been exhausting and Harry couldn't wait for Christmas break. He knew he was exaggerating but if this was the first day he could only imagine what awaited them. 

Elle came running to him at lunch and told him everything that had happened in her classes. She looked so happy that Harry beamed with pride. If she only knew that she would be suffering in just a few years, he thought and laughed to himself.

Ron was still with Lavender, and Ginny was nowhere in sight, so Harry and Hermione had to sit alone. Neville was there too, but he seemed too discouraged by their first class to talk. Hermione gave him comforting words but still looked tense. Elle was still happy, though, and made her smile with her comments and stories. 

Harry had Care of Magical Creatures after lunch. Hermione nor Ron had decided to take that class, as they never really thought Hagrid was the best teacher, but Harry loved everything Hagrid did, although he knew it was a bit risky, or _extremely_ _dangerous and potentially mortal_ , as Hermione emphasized more than once. The class was shared mostly with other Gryffindors and a few Hufflepuffs - not even half the amount of the previous years.

"Harry!" Hagrid roared and lifted himself off the ground when Harry went to hug him. Neville and Seamus were the only ones there with him, waiting for the other students to arrive. 

"Hagrid- I can't- breathe," Harry rubbed his ribs over his uniform robes when Hagrid let him down. Hagrid often forgot he was just human and therefore his bones were fragile. 

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I missed you," the half-giant said with a nostalgic smile.

"I missed you, too," Harry replied. It was true. Hagrid had been a family friend from when Harry's parents were in Hogwarts. Harry grew up playing with him and listening to his incredible stories about dragons and unicorns and centaurs and all types of magical creatures. Hagrid was a great teacher, but not everyone could appreciate it. 

The class started soon and Harry enjoyed every minute of it. They talked about Werewolves but there weren't any in the Forbidden Forest, for obvious reasons. Harry couldn't help to think about Moony and couldn't wait to hear, or read, from him and Padfoot. They talked with Firenze the centaur and tried to look for fairies, but they were really small and fast and liked to play hide and seek with them. 

When the class was over, Harry agreed to have tea with Hagrid. It wasn't only because he wanted to catch up with him, but because he was tired of his friends. It was the first day and Ron was with Lavender all the time and Hermione was very grumpy and snappy. He hadn't seen Ginny and Neville, who liked to spend a lot of time with the Hufflepuffs. He also tried to forget Malfoy for a little while.

Harry entered Hagrid's hut and he grinned. Fang greeted him and slobbered all over his robes and Harry had to clean himself with a charm. The dog looked ferous, but he was just a giant cutie, just like Hagrid. 

"So, Harry, how you been?" Hagrid asked, sitting on a small wooden chair that was stronger than it looked. He handed Harry a piece of his famous chocolate cake with pink frosting. 

"I'm fine, Hagrid. I guess you've been busy?" said Harry as he ate the cake eagerly. It was so good.

"Oh, yeah. I visited Charlie for the summer. He's got two new baby dragons. They're lovely."

Harry hummed. He was used to hearing Hagrid talking lovingly of dangerous creatures and beasts. And he wasn't the only one. Sirius always got giddy when talking about Remus, who happened to be a werewolf. Harry also liked dragons and all kinds of creatures in general, that's why he was taking Hagrid's class. 

With a nostalgic sigh, Harry listened to everything Hagrid had to say. He looked happy to come back to Hogwarts, but he was still a bit disappointed to know that only Harry had taken his class this year. 

"Yeah, you know Ron wants to be an Auror, and Hermione will be the next Minister of Magic or something," Harry said as a way to apologize on behalf of his friends. "This is not exactly a useful class for them."

Hagrid laughed. "Yeah, yeah. That young lady is the smartest in your year. and Ron... well, he's Ron. He'll do alright."

Harry nodded, smiling fondly. He felt lucky to have his friends, but when Hagrid spoke again, Harry's smile faltered.

"And what will you do, Harry?"

"Me?" Harry asked dumbly. Of course Hagrid would ask that. He had hoped he could avoid the question.

"Who else? Me?" Hagrid grunted with a laugh. 

"Um, I don't know yet. I mean, I like a lot of things, you know. It's hard to choose one."

Hagrid nodded. "Well, the magical creatures are fascinating, and you have a talent for this."

"You think so?" Harry asked. Harry hadn't thought about it, and be wasn't bad at it, maybe...

"It's not the most glamorous career but it's very rewarding," Hagrid mentioned proudly. "It's like having lots of children who love you as much as you love and care for them. And they can be very dangerous to people who want to hurt you."

Harry laughed. That was true, and Harry found himself thinking about third year, when Malfoy had mocked Buckbeak the Hippogryph and it hurt him as a reverge. It was official, he couldn't help thinking about Malfoy. He was going crazy.

Hagrid was right, though, about that carrer. Harry didn't care about glamour or fame or money. He just wanted to be happy. 

"You think about it, Harry."

"I will."

Harry said goodbye to Hagrid and went back to the castle just in time for dinner. Ron and Hermione were there already, but Hermione looked invested in her conversation with Ginny, while Ron ate his steak and played Wizard's Chess with Neville.

"Hi, Hermione. Ginny," Harry said, sitting next to Hermione, who looked at him in alarm, while Ginny avoided his glance. She was frowning slightly and her cheeks were pink. 

"What?" he asked. 

"What?" Hermione shrieked. 

"Yes. What?" he said, now confused. "What's going on?"

"Uh. I have to go," Ginny said suddenly, standing up without much grace and knocking her soup bowl, which Hermione managed to catch before it made a mess. Ginny seemed to panic for a second, but she just disappeared down the hall.

"What just happened?" Harry asked, baffled.

"Oh, nothing, really," she stammered nervously. Ron had screamed Ginny's name but his sister didn't hear. "It's just-" Hermione added, but she closed her mouth shut.

"Yeah?" Harry prompted her. 

"Oh, Harry, I shouldn't be the one telling you this, but she has fancied you for years."

"WHAT-"

"You really didn't know?"

"I mean, I suspected it? I think? But I- I never-"

"I know, Harry, I know," Hermione said, trying to calm him down. Harry remembered where they were, and his immediate reaction was to look at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was staring at him, but the other boy made a scowl and looked down at his food. Harry sighed. This was just great. Ginny was in love with him and the boy Harry fancied- Fuck, he fancied Draco Malfoy. He did. 

"I don't think she wants to speak with me now, huh?" Harry said. Hermione put a hand on his arm. 

"Just give her time. She will get over it."

"I don't want this to be awkward."

"I know. Harry."

Harry picked at his dinner unenthusiastically. Ron asked him what had happened with Ginny but he said he had no idea. He didn't want his best friend to be suspicious of him. Two angry Weasleys would be too much. 

Two weeks later, Ginny was officially dating Dean Thomas, and she hadn't said a single word to Harry. She barely looked at him now.

  
  


It was almost October when Harry got the letter from Sirius and Remus a few days later. Harry and Elle had already received several letters from their mum and dad, along with muggle and wizarding sweets. Half of those sweets came from Sirius and Remus.

He gave Hedwig half of his bacon and let her go to the owlery to rest after grabbing his uncles' letter and kept it inside the pocket of his robe the whole day. He didn't want anyone knowing about the letter, it would be so embarrassing. He wasn't ready to talk about this to Ron and Hermione, even knowing that they wouldn't make much of a fuss. 

He left the dinner table to go for a walk. He went to the lake, which was pitch black as always, and sat under his favourite tree. He took out the piece of parchment and cast a _Lumos_ so he could read better.

_Dear H._

_We're so happy to hear from you. We'll be back from our trip in about a month, so yes, you'll see us for the Christmas holidays. Please, tell Elle we're proud of her._

_About your current concern. You know we love you no matter what. And your parents love you no matter what. We feel honoured that you feel you can trust us with this. And we totally understand, of course._

_We're sorry about that particular boy. It looks like he doesn't know what he's missing. You're a great lad, and you'll find that special someone one day. It doesn't have to be now and it doesn't have to be perfect, so don't feel too bad right now. Things will change, you'll just have to be patient. Also, things have been changing for good. We know it doesn't look like it right now, but believe us, they were worse when we were your age, so that¡s a win._

_We're looking forward to talking with you about it when we see you if that's alright with you._

_We love you._

_-Padfoot and Moony._

_P.S. Just tell me who this idiot boy is and I'll curse him._

_P.S.S. That was Padfoot, but we're not cursing anyone. Neither will you._

Harry couldn't help his smile, feeling as if all his problems had vanished suddenly. He really missed his godfather and Moony. He'd be lost right now without them. He wished he had them with him right at that moment. 

He rested for a few more minutes, enjoying the calmness of the lake. When it was time to go back to the castle, he stood and brushed the back of his robes with his hand. Then, he proceeded to walk as he tried to find his pocket to put the letter where it belonged. 

He bumped into someone. Hard. 

"What the fuck- who's there?"

"Malfoy?" Harry said, straightening his glasses and rubbing his forehead with his hand. 

"Well, of course, it had to be you, Potter," Malfoy sneered. Harry rolled his eyes. Why did it have to be like this with him? 

"Whatever. What are you doing here?" 

Malfoy answered after several seconds. "I come here to think. Not that's any of your business," he added, narrowing his eyes. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"None of your business," Harry retorted, finally putting his letter back in his pocket. Malfoy didn't miss the movement, but he said nothing. His eyes shone when he looked up at Harry despite the darkness around them. 

Harry suddenly noticed how close they were, and it didn't feel like that day with Ginny. It didn't feel wrong. They stared at each other's eyes for a long time. But then Malfoy pushed past him and walked away. 

He smelled of cold wind and pine with something underneath that Harry couldn't identify but he liked all the same. 

He came back to himself, noticing he was still standing there like an idiot. He sighed and went to the castle.

When he entered the Gryffindor common room, everyone was there, and they were celebrating something. 

"Harry, look!" Ron called him from the other side. For once, he and Hermione looked like they were being civil; at least, they were standing next to each other, both grinning. 

"What is it?" 

"Come see!" Hermione exclaimed and waved her hand. 

There was an announcement in the far wall of the common room. It took him two seconds to understand what this was all about. 

"Oh," he managed to say. He was too stunned to articulate a word.He hadn't thought about the quidditch team in a long time.

"Just 'oh?' Harry, you're the Gryffindor team's captain!" Ron almost shouted in his ear. His grin was big and genuine. 

"Congratulations, Harry!" Hermione hugged him. "I knew you could make it!"

"Uh, thanks," he said finally. The news had taken him by surprise but he felt happy. He knew he was a good player, but he never actually thought he could be the captain of the Quidditch team. It hadn't been his intention.

Neville, Dean, Seamus, as well as Katie Bell, congratulated him. They chatted happily into the late hours and Hermione advised them to go to bed. It was only when Harry was sitting on his bed that he thought about how Ginny hadn't been there.

"Hey, Dean," Harry whispered. Ron was brushing his teeth in the bathroom. Dean was taking off his shoes two beds away from him.

"Yeah?"

"Did you see Ginny? She wasn't there in the common room."

"She said she had to do some studying for Potions or something. She locked herself in the girls’ bedroom right after dinner." Dean didn't sound particularly worried. 

"Oh."

"Night, Harry."

"Good night."

Harry put his letter inside of his trunk and got under the covers. He took off his glasses and put them on the bedside table next to his wand. 

He had so many things to think about. The mountain of assignments he had, his duties as the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, the letter he had received, the problem with Ginny, freaking Malfoy-

Harry fell asleep thinking about Malfoy's peculiarly good scent. 

The next day, he and Malfoy were already fighting again. They were both captains and they wanted to do their tryouts for their respective teams on the same day and at the same time. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo   
> Here I go again. New chapter after a few months. I hope you like it and thank you for reading. As always, thanks to 7HedwigtheBoo7 because this wouldn't be as good as it is without her help.

The night before the first encounter of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Harry saw Ginny and Dean arguing in a hallway on the second floor. 

Harry had left the common room to take a walk in the castle with his invisibility cloak. He was nervous about being a captain. He'd never considered himself a good leader, despite everyone telling him that he was a natural- that it was in his blood. All his friends told him this. 

His parents had written to congratulate him and to send him luck. Harry felt a little better after hearing from them. He suddenly wished they were there with him. His father had told him he was proud, and that no matter the outcomes, he should be proud of himself as well. 

That very night, Harry was just walking around the corner when he heard the familiar voices. He couldn't see them yet, but he was close enough to hear them; they were arguing rather loudly. 

"You said before that you wanted to try it! You said you've been practicing for years!" Dean was shouting, exasperated and confused. Harry was confused too. He had seen Ginny play and she was talented. 

"Yes, well, I told you I changed my mind! I don't want to anymore! You can go alone!"

"But Gin! We've been talking about this for a long time, even before- you know. Before we were together."

"Things changed. I'm not interested anymore."

"That's not true, I know it. What is it? Your brothers? They're telling you that you can't do it? Because you know-"

Ginny sighed. Harry couldn't imagine Ron telling Ginny she couldn't do anything she wanted to do. That would be wrong. Harry would need to talk to his best friend. 

"No, no- it's nothing like that- it's just-"

Harry couldn't help it. He walked closer, relieved that he'd decided to bring his cloak. The hall was quiet, but he still managed not to be heard by them. 

"Just what?" Dean pressed.

"Harry's the captain."

"Yeah, it's going to be incredible! There's no chance we lose this year! Are you saying that's a problem?"

Harry was torn between beaming at Dean's praise and disappointed at Ginny's reluctance. He understood now. She was still upset about whatever happened between them. It wasn't fair, though, because Harry hadn't even had the chance to talk to her about it. 

"Well, yeah. I can't do it. You go tomorrow, you'll do great. I'm staying. This is my final word about it."

"But Gin-" 

Ginny turned around and walked away. Harry could see her face; her eyes were a mix of anger and sadness. Harry decided that he had to fix it. He had to talk to her, make her understand that whatever had happened between them couldn't take her away from reaching her goals. She was an amazing player, and Harry wouldn't lose her over a stupid misunderstanding. 

So he went after her, leaving Dean confused and annoyed. 

He followed her without making any noise; he didn't want to scare her. She went up the moving stairs, and just before entering the common room, Harry took off the invisibility cloak and called after her.

"Ginny! Hey!"

Ginny turned back with a pale face. She was scared to see him. 

"Harry-" she mumbled with terror in her voice. "Where did you come from?"

"Just down the hall," he lied, rather easily. 

"Oh."

"Hey, I wanted to ask you if you're going to be in the field tomorrow. I know you've always wanted to play on the team." He tried to put on a confident smile, but he didn't want her to feel insecure around him. 

"Um. No, I don't think so," Ginny said, not quite looking at him. "Tough year, you know. I have so many things to do." She turned to the Fat Lady and gave her the password.

"Yes, I know. But I'd like to see you there. You're really good, you know that."

She went from paper white to bright red, but Harry pretended not to notice. Merlin, this was awkward. 

"Um. Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome," he hesitated, and Ginny turned to leave, but he couldn't leave things like this. "Ginny, wait!"

"Yes?" she perked up instantly. Her eyes were shining. 

"Uh. I- you're an amazing girl, you know that. And I'm happy you and Dean are together. He's a good bloke."

Ginny looked sad all over again, and Harry knew that it wasn't what she had wanted to hear from him. He winced. "Look, I'm sorry I can't return your feelings-" Ginny started sobbing then, and Harry wanted to curse himself. "But hey! We're family! You can count on me, Gin. I'll always be here for you. Don't forget that."

Ginny sobbed a bit more, her eyes wet, but she did smile a bit. "I'm so sorry, I ruined everything, didn't I?"

"Of course not!" Harry replied quickly. He figured that putting a hand on her shoulder was okay, so he did that. She didn't reject it. "Why don't we go to see the others? I'll be waiting for you tomorrow at seven o'clock. No excuses."

Ginny turned to stare at her hands, sighed, and nodded. "Okay. I'll be there."

Harry grinned. They entered the common room where Ron was snogging Lavender and Hermione was sulking with a book covering her face. When she spotted them, she looked at them cautiously. 

"It's fine, Hermione, we talked," Ginny said. Harry saw that she was embarrassed, and he muttered a goodnight when she said she was tired and needed to sleep. He and Hermione stayed up for a bit longer before deciding to o to their rooms, leaving Ron and Lavender alone in the common room. 

Harry woke up earlier than necessary. He was bursting with energy but didn't want to go out there anytime soon. He had the feeling he would do everything wrong. Would Professor McGonagall be proud of him? She wouldn't choose him to be captain if she thought he couldn't make it. Right? But, what if she was wrong? 

He took his time with a hot shower. It helped him to relax a bit. He changed into his Quidditch uniform and went to the kitchens where the elves gave him some toast and tea. On a normal morning he would've eaten much more, but right now he didn't think he could stomach a full breakfast right now. 

Someone was flying around the Quidditch pitch when Harry got there. By the green of their uniform and their extremely pale hair, Harry could only assume it was- 

"Malfoy!" he shouted. Would he ever have a calm morning with his team? Apparently not. 

Malfoy stopped mid-air and turned his head around rapidly, looking surprised. He stayed like this for three seconds, finally deciding that coming down was a better idea than staying up in the air. As he flew towards Harry, he made a show of it, as usual, but Harry just rolled his eyes. It wasn't the time to admire Malfoy's talent with the broom, though his heart tended to beat a bit faster every time he saw Malfoy fly.

"Potter," Malfoy sneered. He looked tired but energetic, just as Harry did. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm choosing our team's new members today," Harry crossed his arms over his chest. He hoped he looked intimidating enough for Malfoy to back off. "You can stop and go now."

Malfoy laughed. "Well, of course you had to be the new captain," he said with distaste. "Guess what, Potter. I'm captain too, and I already booked this pitch this morning. You're the one who shouldn't be here."

Harry fumed. What the fuck was this? Was Malfoy messing with him? First, he avoided Harry, and now he said they had scheduled their Quidditch practices the same day and at the same time? 

"That's not true. Professor McGonagall signed my petition. I have it in my pocket-"

"Well, Professor Snape signed mine," Malfoy said, looking annoyed. "Looks like our elders have even worse communication between them than us."

Well, that was true. It was clear to everyone that Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape didn't like each other much, and they preferred to avoid each other as much as possible. Harry knew it was dumb, but he would stand by McGonagall anytime. Snape didn't scare him, but he seemed a little too sinister to be a teacher. 

Malfoy was ready to talk to Professor Snape about what was happening, and Harry was sure he even would talk to his father if it was necessary, but Harry had a better idea. 

"We can decide right now who's going to be using the field this morning," he said. Malfoy wouldn't like it, though.

"And that is?" the boy said, untrusting.

"Fight for the snitch!" 

"Again? Potter, you and your stupid ideas-"

"Just because you know I'm better than you-"

"I won last time, didn't I?"

"How do you know I didn't let you win?"

Malfoy seemed to consider this, but he sneered. "You're only joking. Your ego wouldn't allow it."

"My ego? Look who's talking!" 

"Are you telling me you did let me win?" Malfoy laughed darkly. Even his evil little laugh sounded good to Harry’s ears. 

"Well, yes," Harry admitted, feeling incredibly stupid for telling the truth. He looked at his shoes, but Malfoy didn't say anything else, so he had to lift his head again and to see his face. The other boy was gaping at him. 

"Why would you do that?" he whispered, as if not wanting to say it too loud in case it wasn't the truth.

"I just wanted to- you know what? Fine, we'll go with McGonagall and Snape."

"No," Malfoy said a bit too fast. "I- I think we can fix it on our own. Your idea is not as bad as I thought. But we don't have much time."

Harry grinned against his better judgment. "Then we better start now.” 

Harry won, being fairly certain that Malfoy had let him win, but neither of them mentioned it. 

"Well, you win this time, Potter," Malfoy said, not as disdainfully as Harry was used to. "I suppose I'll have to reschedule with my team. Don't get too excited, though. We'll beat you in our first game."

Harry watched him go, feeling that something big had happened that day, and it was barely seven in the morning. When Ron asked him why he was so happy, he just laughed. 

Dean, Ginny, Katie, and Ron arrived not much later. Dean was beaming at Ginny, who smiled at him apologetically. There were also students from previous years. Harry had to send back a first-year who claimed that he was the best seeker in the whole school. 

They all watched Ginny on her broom. Most of them were in shock to see her talent, but Harry was just glad she could show her skill this morning. 

"I didn't know she was so good," said Ron in awe.

"I practiced with the twins," she said later as an explanation.

"They never let me practice with them!" Ron accused. Ginny just shrugged.

"I guess they like me better?"

Ron muttered something sounding like 'everyone likes you better', but Ginny didn't hear; she was running towards Dean, her ponytail swinging with each step. Harry sighed. It was good to have the old Ginny back, and he hoped it stayed that way. He wondered for a second if she was just too good to forget people or she was a damn good actress. 

Harry didn't have to decide now who was going to stay on the team, but it was clear that Ginny and Katie would pass to the next round. Ron wasn't terrible, but he became incredibly nervous and made more mistakes than the rest, and Harry couldn't afford that. He still had two more sessions to see if his friend was good enough, but if he made it, he would have to learn to control his anxiety. That wouldn't be easy for him. 

Harry had Herbology after the try-outs, where he was with his friends. And Malfoy. The other boy didn't look at him once, and Harry hated to admit that he was disappointed but not surprised. Malfoy always did this. He had a way of making Harry believe things would change between them, and then reality came and ruined everything. 

By lunch, Harry's mood had worsened, making Ron and Hermione wonder what had happened. 

"I'm just tired," Harry said. It seemed reasonable enough, so they wouldn’t keep asking.

"At least Ginny is acting normal again," Ron added between mouthfuls of mashed potatoes. 

Lavender giggled at his left side, and Hermione just scowled. Harry sighed. It wasn't the time to explain to his best friend what had happened with his sister. Harry was sure Ron wouldn't want to know anyway. 

The rest of the day passed smoothly. Hermione worked really hard on her classes, and Ron complained a lot about all the things he had to do but never did anyway. Harry decided to work on his Herbology essay, which was easy enough for now. He had double Potions tomorrow. Having to deal with Malfoy and Snape at the same time should be considered one of his best skills, besides Quidditch. 

That night, he went to bed early again, and to his surprise, Seamus was already in their room, reading a book.

"Hey, Seamus," Harry said absently while putting his books in his trunk and getting his clean pyjamas. "Why aren't you with Dean?"

Seamus glanced at him but rapidly went back to his book. Harry noticed he was annoyed at something.

"He's with his new girlfriend," the bloke said in a mocking tone. 

"Yeah, he looks happy, doesn't he?" Harry laughed. He took his uniform robes off and untied his Gryffindor tie. 

"Yesh, right," Seamus grunted. Harry decided to ignore it, but after a long, awkward silence, he looked back. Seamus was staring at him, or at his chest, specifically. Harry had barely realized that he had taken off his shirt, revealing his bare chest. 

"Uh," Harry babbled, feeling exposed. He had never had this problem before, he and his friends changed clothes in front of one another all the same time, and it was never awkward between them. Until now, it seemed. 

Seamus cleared his throat. "Sorry, I- Sorry," he said. He put his book down and went to the bathroom. 

Harry heard him brushing his teeth and flushing the loo. Harry was already under the duvet when Seamus came back and went to his own bed. 

The next day neither of them said anything; it seemed that they both were determined to ignore what had happened the night before. Dean talked a lot about Ginny, of how pretty she was and how good her hair smelled. It made Harry happy, but neither Ron nor Seamus seemed to react the same way. 

"Can you stop talking about my sister?" Ron huffed, annoyed. Harry chuckled. Dean only shrugged, not bothered by Ron's words. 

"Whatever."

Seamus only grunted without taking his eyes from his book. Harry had never seen him so interested in his schoolwork before. He thought about asking him what was going on but decided against it. He was busy with his own things, anyway. He didn't need to add more problems to his life right now. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written chapter 7 yet but I know it will be from Draco's POV, don't think I forgot about him! Be patient, I'm a busy person. See you next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter will be from Harry's POV but 7 could be from Draco's :)


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